Tour of the Gila will feature top teams in its 30th edition

Last year's Tour of the Gila was filled with great riders, but this year's event will feature some of the top cyclists from the past decade along with some up and coming stars.(Photo: Danny Udero/Sun-News)Buy Photo

SILVER CITY — It’s almost time for the 30th edition of the Tour of the Gila. The five-day stage race will begin May 4 and run through May 8.

Premier UCI professional teams will again bring their rising stars and veterans to what some have called one of the toughest stage races in America. Twenty-five men’s teams and 16 women’s teams will come to Silver City to vie for the general classification crown. The goal for most of these teams is to bring their best climber and best sprinter because a Gila stage win is not only one of the most coveted prizes in professional cycling, but also means finishing in the top three as a team.

Mara Abbott (Amy D. Foundation) and Rob Britton (Rally Racing) are going to defend their 2015 crowns. Abbott was a guest rider for the Amy D. Foundation last year and she will return with that team. Britton transferred in the off season from Team SmartStop to sign with Rally.

Kristin Armstrong (TWENTY16-RideBiker) has come out of retirement and will use the race to prepare of the 2016 Olympics. She has been a staple at the Tour of the Gila, as she has won the race twice and is no stranger to capturing stage wins. Armstrong has praised the Tour for offering professional women the same experience – in respect to number of stages, distance and difficulty – as the men’s field.

“We are excited to celebrate a milestone like our 30th edition with the appearance of some of the most important cyclists of the last decade,” race director Jack Brennan said. “Offering someone like Kristin Armstrong a platform to prepare for the Olympics, an event that transcends our sport is an honor.”